


Thing That I Love

by AniM8dManga13



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series), Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, Pocket Monsters: Sword & Shield | Pokemon Sword & Shield Versions, ポケモンマスターズ | Pokemon Masters
Genre: Canon Crossover, F/M, Gen, Multi, Pokemon League, Pokemon Master, Post-Game, Worldbuilding, Wtf am I doing, all games connected, arbitrary song references, connected world, gambling on friends
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-31
Updated: 2020-09-22
Packaged: 2021-02-25 05:22:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 8,839
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22490731
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AniM8dManga13/pseuds/AniM8dManga13
Summary: There's a Pokemon League conference coming up, and Raihan has the brilliant idea to bet on whether Sonia will finally crack and confess her undying love to Leon, or is the ex-champion too dense to understand any of it. He gets the current champion and all of Galar involved, and chaos ensues at the big event. What fun!
Relationships: Burnet-hakase | Professor Burnet/Kukui-hakase | Professor Kukui, Dande | Leon/Sonia, Gladio | Gladion/Mizuki | Selene, Hop/Yuuri | Gloria, Leaf/Ookido Green | Blue Oak/Red, Mary | Marnie & Masaru | Victor, N | Natural Harmonia Gropius/Touko | Hilda, Other Relationship Tags to Be Added
Comments: 8
Kudos: 88





	1. Believing In A Thing Called Love

**Author's Note:**

> It's been a long time coming, but I'm finally posting a Pokemon fanfiction. I've been hardcore fan of the games since I was a wee little brat (I still have ALL of my old games even though they don't work anymore), and with the characters introduced to us in Sword and Shield, I think eight generations is a good place to start posting!

"Hop, your brother's a twat." 

Said boy turned to his best friend (and current reigning champion), looking quite affronted. Gloria and Marnie snickered beside them, Piers choked on his coffee, and Raihan spat his right out. 

"Victor, that's so rude! I know he can't find his way out of a wet paper bag, but he's not THAT dumb," Hop whined, defending his big brother. Sort of.

"I don't think that's what he's talking about," Gloria reassured, patting her boyfriend's shoulder. 

"Well, what's he be'in a git about?" Hop asked, chewing another mouthful of chips. 

"You're studying under Sonia aren't you? You really don't know?" Gloria sighed. Hop put on his thinking face, trying to put the pieces together in his head.

"OH! Sonia always seems to shut down whenever Lee visits!" 

"Ding ding ding! Glad someone in your fam has brains!" Raihan commented, laughing with fistfuls of wet napkins stuffed into his jacket. 

"They grew up together, didn't they? Even went on their Pokemon journeys together right?" Victor added. 

"Now, why would she shut down if'er ol' mate's got time to visit'er now?" Piers mumbled rather sarcastically, nibbling on a biscuit soaked in his coffee. 

Marnie and Gloria gave him a look. Piers shuddered in some primal fear, and even Raihan gulped at the temperature drop. 

"She quit before she reached the semifinals, right Raihan?" Gloria asked, primly sipping her milk tea. He shrugged in response. 

"'At was more than fifteen years ago. All I remember's running into her after Leon won at Circhester, sobbing at the Hero's Bath," the dragon specialist replied, just as nonchalant. 

"....So, how does this make Lee a twat?" Hop brought up, now even more confused. 

"Sonia's been pining for Leon since childhood, and now that he's no longer champ, she's sad he doesn't seem to want to spend his free time with her," Victor stated bluntly, giving the professor hopeful a blank gaze. Gloria giggled at her boyfriend's dumbfounded reaction. 

"How'd you figure that?" Piers asked, looking genuinely confused. 

"Because I talk to her whenever I visit Gloria and Hop?" Victor responded, also sarcastic and deadpan. 

"Sure, but that's an oddly personal thing to talk about. You sure you're not just, I'unno, speculating?" Raihan added, swiping one of Hop's chips and dousing it in malt vinegar and ketchup. The young professor (in training) looked back at him with a grumpy pout. 

"I don't know how, or why, but me'an Hop got back to the lab one night after some field work and Gloria was with Nessa at the table, comforting a clearly drunk Sonia. Saw us come in, we sat down, and she just let loose 'bout Leon."

"Hmm....I barely remembered that," Hop said, pushing his plate toward the end of the table and AWAY from a still hungry Raihan. 

"Hop, love, you fell face first onto the sofa and blacked out after dropping some notes on the table," Gloria said. 

"Huh. Sonia's been to every opening event and final match Lee's ever been in, now that I think about it...OH! Ohhh…That's what you meant." Hop seemed to finally get it. "For once, I'm glad I'm not like Lee!" he laughed. 

"Helps that my cousin asked you out first too," Victor added, their whole table bursting into laughter. 

Before they parted from Hammerlocke, Raihan paying for everyone's orders as his treat (mistake), the gracious host had something to say. 

"We're all going to the grand league conference next week right? How'bout we make a bet?" Piers deflated at Raihan's toothy, mischievous grin, Marnie at attention beside her boyfriend. Hop and Gloria also turned, not ones to back down from a bet. 

"I'm putting a good thousand that Sonia's snapping at the conference, and Leon's walking away completely confused," he stated, clearly making the bet live on his PokeSnap feed. 

"Okay, look, Lee's dense, but he's not THAT dense! I think they'll be together by the end of the trip," Hop said, throwing his allowance in.

"Sorry love, but I have my doubts. I think it'll take a tad more than Sonia blowing up in his face for Leon to get the hint," Gloria stated, putting in her lot with a laughing Raihan. Hop looked so dramatically betrayed. As if to make it worse, Victor stood at Raihan's side as well, fist-bumping his cousin in agreement. 

"...I actually believe Leon'll get it. A man can only be so dense and be champion for a decade," Marnie decided, putting a lot in with Hop. 

"...I don't particularly care, but if Marnie believes in'im, I guess I'll do it too," Piers sighed, slouching next to his baby sister. 

"A'ight mates, in a week's time, we got ourselves a bet!" Raihan settled, his Rotomphone ringing up a storm with responses coming in from all over Galar. This was going to be a very interesting conference indeed…

"'EY, WAIT, GIMME BACK MY TAKE-OUT!!" 


	2. This Does Not Feel Right

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A moment in the lab puts Hop on edge, especially when his brother stops by.

With the international master league conference less than a week away, Sonia had Hop running around the lab even more so than usual. Her papers on the Galar region's Dynamax phenomenon, her history of Galar book, and more notes for future books on their desk were being hastily shoved into a messenger bag for the trip. 

"HOP! Don't forget your own papers! You have your own presentation to prep!" Sonia was clearly stressing out, but Hop did what he was told, sighing with a smile. Any time now….

**_CLUNK! THUNK! CRASH!_ ** _ Knock knock knock.  _

Ah, right on time. Mostly. 

With an exasperated huff (and Yamper barking at the door), Sonia marched to the door, stress lines marring her brow. 

"The lab's...Oh, LEON?! WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU THIS TIME?!" she screeched, hands flying onto his disheveled coat. He looked right a mess, which was normal and expected, but he was sporting quite the black eye and gash along his jaw down to his neck. 

"Oh, nothing too bad, just ran into a few rascals in the Wild Area this morning! Want some help packing for the conference?" the ex-champion said, smile on his face. Sonia's face flushed and Hop grinned. Gloria was right. Sonia's got it bad. 

"Nevermind that, you need first aid! Get in here!" She dragged Leon in, pushing him into a chair, and running into the kitchen for an ice pack. Hop looked at his brother with a raised brow. 

"What DID you run into, Lee?" Hop asked, taking a closer look at the injuries Leon was sporting. 

"Wild Sneasel got touchy with me, and I ran into...Something. Bit of a blur, but ran in eye first and bruised it up," he answered, still smiling. 

"YOU WHAT?!" Sonia stomped over to them, bag of ice and disinfectant in her hands, now looking quite furious. Again, she pushed her old friend off of the chair and onto the sofa, her glare commanding him to lie down. Hop winced. 

"I'm fine, Sonia, nothing to get into a tizzy over," Leon said, holding the ice pack over his blackened eye. She seemed even more enraged at his words, and Hop took it as a cue to hide by the work desk. 

"FINE?! ARE YOU DAFT?! YOU COULD HAVE A CONCUSSION!! BRAIN DAMAGE, IF YOUR SKULL ISN'T ALREADY A PILE OF ROCKS!!" Sonia was practically screeching, making sure Leon's cut stung with the antibacterial spray as she scolded him AGAIN. But, as with most things, Leon took it in stride, barely looking sheepish at her words, and did what she ordered with little commentary. Hop's Rotomphone pinged, a stream of alerts scrolling faster than he could read. It looked like Raihan had gotten straight to sharing their little bet to the rest of the Galar league, if the numbers and amount of cursing filling up the text boxes were anything to go by. 

"Now you stay here and REST! I need to stop by Hulberry to pick up my formalwear from Nessa. HOP! Watch your brother for me!" Sonia shouted, snapping at her assistant. Hop nodded, stiff until the young professor stormed out the door and slammed it shut behind her. Leon chuckled from his comfy spot on the sofa. 

"She's excited for the conference too, isn't she?" Hop slapped a hand to his forehead in disbelief. Maybe Gloria was right after all…

Hop spent his time catching up with his brother, tossing some of his own research notes into a messenger bag he would be using as a carry-on. Leon laid there on the couch with the melting ice pack plopped on his eye, trying not to fall asleep before Sonia returned and he could maybe be of use. 

“I’m sure Sonia’s not going to be back ‘til dinner, Lee. No one’s going to fault you for a nap,” the professor hopeful said, rolling his eyes at his brother’s dreadful attempt at pretending to pay attention.    
  


“You sure? She could come back earlier than expected and need some help,” Leon responded, stifling a yawn. Hope rolled his eyes.

“You’re not the champion anymore, and you need to learn to rest, especially after such a bad beat-down. You’ve been up and running around at top speed for ten years, I think it’s time to take a break and catch up on everything you’ve been missing out on.” Like his own growth and progress, or his relationship with Gloria, becoming actual friends with Marnie and Bede, or the new and fascinating possible connections to Kalos’ mega evolution and Galar’s power spots he’s been running around helping with and how Gigantamaxing and Z-moves could be related. Sonia was up to her hair in researching every region with some kind of disastrous power struggle within the last fifteen years (keeping Hop painfully busy running him ragged back and forth around every city and every wild area), and even with all that on her plate, he could still sometimes hear her shouting at the tellie with a pack of ale whenever Leon’s matches were on, or how the fridge was always stocked with his favorite ingredients. 

“Oh, by the way, Hop, I never got to say this to you, but you’re doing great! I don’t understand anything you’ve been studying up on, but I’m proud of you! I’ll make sure to attend your opening presentation for Sonia,” As if by some strange psychic force, Leon, in his drowsy voice, mumbled his congratulations just loud enough for his little brother to hear. Hop smiled softly as he heard the ex-champion’s breathing even out into a light snore. 

Wiping his brow, Hop had just finished putting his actual attire for the professors’ presentation into his still empty suitcase. Sonia should be back right...About….

“YIP! YIP! YIP!” Now.

“Yes Yamper, we’ve made it home! Now quiet down dear, I think our old lug’s still sleeping,” he heard her say, the sound of ruffling bags and the door closing moving him back downstairs. 

“Sonia, you’re back! Did Nessa just hand you her entire wardrobe?” he asked, looking at the number of bags she had on her. 

“No, I was very firm to remind her I only needed two at most, so she made it her personal mission to find the PERFECT dresses for me. I honestly don’t know why she made such a fuss about it, I’ll only need it for two nights at most,” she replied, walking into the kitchen and, without even looking, pulled out the myriad of ingredients for Leon’s favorite curry. Hop’s lips thinned to hide his amused grin, knowing exactly why Nessa was so firm on dressing the young professor up. “Do you mind bringing those up to the study for me? I need to bring them with me to gran’s when I pack for the trip.” Hop obliged, unfolding the black nylon bags by the hanger and making his way upstairs. It wouldn’t hurt to take a peek at the dresses, would it? He wouldn’t say he knew anything about fashion (he’d have Gloria and even Marnie help him out on occasion for big events), but he DID know his brother’s likes and dislikes. 

Leon felt something on his face, and a zap of static electricity jolted him up from his nap. The now warm ice pack fell to his knee, and Yamper stood in his lap, tail wagging and tongue hanging out with joy. “Ah, Sonia, you’re back! And I smell that curry you’re making right now! Do you want me to help you pack up anything for your trip? All those books must be a bit heavy,” he said, pushing himself up and onto the floor. 

“I can manage myself, thank you. Been doing it for over a decade now,” she replied, rolling her eyes. A part of her brain cursed herself for the response, swallowing the bitterness she’d held on the tip of her tongue. 

“I insist. That’s what friends are for, aren’t they?” Sonia bit her lip, now holding back a few nasty words she’d been hanging on to for the majority of her life (and Leon’s dazzling career). 

“I said IT’S FINE. I have Hop upstairs doing some small organizing, and that’s all I need done right now anyway. Can you come over here and taste this?” He was beside her in seconds, beating even Yamper to the kitchen, eyes practically sparkling and mouth watering at the pot Sonia had been stirring. 

“It smells amazing, but it always does whenever you make it. Now let me have a spoon!” She whipped out a silver spoon, scooped a large portion of sauce, and handed it to him without once turning her head to face him. Not that she wanted to anyway. It would just make the tears gathering at her eyes that much more likely to fall. 

Hop felt the tension in the air like an electric terrain. His nerves were on edge as he tried to quietly tiptoe toward the dining table. Leon was very much enjoying his small sample of curry, but what kept Hop’s guard up was the stiff, forceful stirring Sonia was doing, eyes downcast, brows furrowed, and clearly trying not to cry. More than anything at that moment, he was glad he wasn’t like his clueless brother. 

  
  



	3. Somebody Told Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Raihan gets a series of interesting calls, a document, and some crazy news. And promptly spreads it to every corner of social media.

Raihan's Rotomphone pinged incessantly, flooding with notifications from Rotogram and Pokesnap. He'd had the brilliant idea of bringing everyone else in the league (excluding the parties being bet on) about their little gamble, and suddenly felt like he'd left too many open ends. Oh well. Nessa just posted a few pictures of her and Sonia trying on some gowns for the conference, clearly trying to get Leon's attention. Good luck with that. Milo just texted him about "letting things happen naturally," clearly having never been near the professor and champion long enough to truly feel the pain of watching them. 

_ "You only say that 'cuz you've never watched'em dance around each other. Letting things happen naturally'll take another 10 fucking years."  _ And 10 years was too long as it was. He kept scrolling through the endless feeds, catching snippets of everyone else's plans, and caught a rather profane message from Piers about his sister's faith in Leon (and how he clearly had none), attached to a rather funny image of the rocker drumming on a brick as if to make a point. 

**_Bzzt. Bzzt._ ** _ "Call from Pink Pesky Punk,"  _ the Rotomphone rang, buzzing and vibrating in the gym leader's hand. Raihan scowled. The fuck was Bede doing, calling him? 

"'Ello?" 

"Ah, just the boy I was looking for! Bede never uses anyone's actual names in his list of contacts, but I'm quite glad your's was so on the nose!" The voice on the other line was clearly NOT Bede (thank Arceus above and below), but Raihan was still rather taken aback by who WAS calling. Opal rarely actually CALLED anyone, opting to instead show up unannounced like some kind of pink and purple ninja. 

"Ah, Opal! How can I help you, ma'am?" he responded. 

"Bede's been grumbling and muttering about some upcoming bet you've started, and I couldn't help but throw in my two-pence. I'm not quite sure why, but I have a gut feeling something's going to take a drastic turn at the conference," she said in her usual cryptic nonchalance. If there was one thing Raihan had remembered from having worked with and around the old woman for so many years, it was that she wasn't called the wizard for nothing, and her gut feelings were practically premonitions. 

"Ah, so I take it you're throwing your lot in with the winning side?" 

"Oh, heavens no! I'm far too old for some petty gamble! I'm very happy watching it all play out. Oh, yes, and Bede's quite dead set against dear Leon, although I feel that it's more out of spite than lack of faith. Anyway, thank you for listening to this old woman's rambling. Cheers love!" A click was heard on the other side, and Raihan was quite puzzled. What could change so drastically at a conference that had been planned almost six months in advance? 

**_Bzzt. Bzzt._ ** _ "Call from Kabu." _ Another one? Huh, the old folks were awfully talkative today. 

"Kabu, sir, er-san! Didn't expect you to call! Having some tech trouble?" Raihan knew for a FACT Kabu only ever called him for business....Or help with modern technology. 

"I hope I didn't call at an inconvenient time," the old man said, polite and stiff as usual. 

"Nope, just getting done with some packing. What'd you need help with?" 

"As you know, my sweet little Flannery, fire-type gym leader in my homeland of Hoenn, will be attending this masters' league conference as well. She has sent me some news in our native language and taken the time to translate it for you all since the hosting party has neglected to do so in a timely manner, but I have no idea how to share it," Kabu said, Raihan stifling an affectionate chuckle. Gym leader or not, an old man was an old man, as clueless with a smart device as his own dad and uncles. And quick to gloat about their families, if his own holidays with his family were anything to go by.

With great patience, Raihan instructed the fire-type gym leader step-by-step directions to forward his niece's attachment to the rest of the league. He was sure Kabu had absolutely no clue about the bet circulating around, and if he was as tired as Opal, probably didn't care. His phone buzzed with a new notification, definitely Kabu's document, and tapped the vast word document open. His eyes widened in disbelief. "ARE THESE TWATS FUCKING INSANE?!?!!" 

The document was creating a huge stir online. The gym leaders were in quite a huff as fans scrambled to persuade their heroes from participating in the conference.Their fears were understandable, what with the shock and horror Chairman Rose had caused only a few years back, but it wouldn’t be anything that they couldn’t handle. Although, to be fair, it was probably terrifying to learn that there were actual groups of people in other regions whose goals were far, far worse than reviving Eternatus for a practically non-existent energy crisis, but that was far beyond the point. Fans, followers, and even some news outlets were posting old and foreign news reels of some of the things that had happened over the last ten or fifteen years. Raihan was impressed he remembered some of these from the ridiculous amount of research Sonia and Hop had him digging up in the Hammerlocke museum. But there was a stark difference between reading about them and watching some of the destruction such events created. How did champions in all these other regions manage? Even Leon couldn’t take on Eternatus, yet some of these people stood face-to-face with almost an army of equally powerful beings. He wondered if Leon had read this yet. He wondered if Leon had received the notification yet. He wondered if Leon had even looked at his phone at all. Opal was right, this was going to turn the conference around and upside-down alright. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just have this headcanon that Raihan is every Boomer's IT guy. Like I am for my parents. And grandparents. And uncles. And aunts.


	4. And I Just Can't Look

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hop comes home late from the lab, and spills his guts out to his best friends for a comfy sleepover.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> INCOMING ANGST, VERY DIALOGUE HEAVY. And please, give Hop all the love.

"...We understand our guests' concerns, but it is with a most thorough security check and utmost confidence that the following persons have been cleared to participate in this year's masters' league conference." Victor scrolled down, reading through a long list of people he recognized as being trouble on international news. 

"Hmmm. I can understand people like Professor Colress and N, but Ms. Malva? Professor Faba? They have active criminal records and had active roles in the disasters that befell their respective regions, don't they?" Gloria thought out loud, scrutinizing the list with her cousin. Both had packed up for the day, their parents going through the travel necessities list for the hundredth time, and were now seated in Hop and Leon's childhood home, waiting for their friend to return from the lab. 

"Eh, to their credit, they aren't letting Chairman Rose nor Oleana attend. But yes, I definitely see a lot of red flags on this list. I'm surprised the Aether Foundation is allowed to present this year, with the bloody mess that was the wormhole incident in Alola," Victor added. 

"Gloria? Victor? What're you doing here so late?" Both champions turned to the door, their friend giving a tired, forced smile as he quietly closed the door behind him, so as not to wake his parents. 

"Where's Leon?" Victor asked, confused by the lack of bustling big brother behind his best friend. Hop's face fell into a grimace. 

"Hop? What's wrong? What happened?" Gloria was up and wrapping her arms around him as soon as she saw the change in expression. Victor was up and behind her, putting a placating hand on his shoulder as well. Having been the best of friends for so long made reading Hop second nature. And his downcast mood was horribly downcast. 

"I...Let's talk in my room. It's...Complicated." 

Hop told them all about his day at the lab, of Leon's impromptu visit, the strangling tension at dinner, the absolute wreck that was Leon sleeping in Sonia's study bed and watching her angry cry from upstairs on the sofa. Sonia's feelings were...INTENSE, to put it mildly. 

"And then we got Kabu's ping, and I just couldn't bear to be in there with Sonia and Lee and whatever they have between them because I want to help them but I know I can't, it's their own scuffle and-" He was rambling, knees folded up against his chest, wrapping his blanket around himself. Leon's room was still sparkling clean across from his, but it now felt less lonely and more....Sterile. 

"....Hey, I know you had some of that same anger after Leon lost and still took another month to come home. How did you deal with it?" Victor asked quietly, leaning back to give Hop a calming look. Hop gave a hollow laugh.

"I honestly don't know, I just...Went out back with him, challenged him to a battle and shouted at him. For a while. My throat was sore for a whole week," he replied. Gloria leaned her head onto his blanket-wrapped shoulder. 

"And how did he take it?" she asked. 

"Like a champ....No, that's not right. He hugged me, and cried like a baby, apologizing over and over for every missed birthday, every forgotten present, for not being able to protect us from Eternatus, just kept repeating he never meant to hurt me." The three sat in peaceful silence, huddling closer together as Hop's mood lightened up. 

"Did being around him and Sonia dig up too many of those angry feelings?" Victor asked, pushing himself off of the hardwood floor and squeezing onto an open spot on the bed. 

"....I...Don't think that's it. It kind of hurt watching Sonia, but knowing how Lee is, he'll be even more broken when he finds out, especially if she decides to do what I did and snap at him. He doesn't like showing it, but....I think Lee's depressed too. He's trying to find something to fill his time, to be useful, but he doesn't know how else to do that outside of being champion." Gloria nodded in sympathy, Victor sighing deeply in thought. 

"Sounds a lot like you when I first won the championship." she mumbled. Hop nodded, the ghost of a nostalgic smile gracing his features. 

"You ARE brothers, eh?" Victor snarked, nudging his friend playfully. 

"Heh, yeah, I guess. But living in Lee's shadow my whole life kind of taught me bounce back faster, to be a bit more flexible. Lee....I don't think Lee's ever needed to do that," Hop said very quietly, like it was some tragic family secret. Which, to be fair, had a smidge of truth to it. Victor and Gloria were the only ones ever present at Hop's birthday "parties," while his family went all out and invited the whole neighborhood to watch Leon's birthday matches. 

"Hey, all this sadness and angst is putting me to sleep. How about we stay over here with you for a good'ol sleepover?" Gloria whispered, pointing at the clock. 

"As long as you're not doing anything while I'm asleep," Victor said, turning the couple's faces bright pink. 

"VICTOR!" 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm just barely noticing how much shorter my chapters for this story are compared to my Fire Emblem ones, but here's to hoping that changes at some point. My build-up is always shorter than the main event, for some reason.


	5. I Say, Take Me Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leon needs to actually start READING up on these big events.

Hop and company had been enjoying some leftover curry for lunch in his family dining room when the front door sounded like it had been tackled. 

"Alright Leon, I've gotten you home, you can drop the subject now." It sounded like a very irate Sonia had stopped by. 

"But you know what these kind of people can do! They actually make Chairman Rose look sane! I'm not doubting you, I just-" Leon was cut short by the door slamming shut. Hop walked out to greet his brother, Gloria and Victor peeking out to watch the commotion. 

"Oh, welcome home Lee!...Uhh...Lee?" Hop watched as his brother seemed to stare at the door, mouth opened and flabbergasted. "You in there?" It took a while, but Leon finally seemed to shake out of his reverie and turned to his brother. 

"Have you read that document Kabu sent out?" he asked. Hop nodded slowly. "You've got to talk Sonia into letting me protect her! Who knows what kind of inhumane lows they'd sink to!" 

"Um, Lee, you know it's just a research showcase right? I'll be presenting too? No Pokemon are allowed in and there'll be security around every corner. I doubt a gathering of professors is enough to warrant this much fretting," Hop said, trying to bring his brother back from whatever bizzare scenario was playing in his head. 

"But, that incident with Sordward and Shielbert-" 

"Was a small trifle, honestly. The Dynamaxed Pokemon didn't do any major lasting harm, and the Brothers Dim did absolutely nothing to or against Sonia." Victor stepped in, rolling his eyes. 

"You weren't even there when it happened, and we all handled it quickly. Nothing like that's going to happen at the conference," Gloria added, bringing the worrying ex-champion a plate of curry. His eyes lit up as he took it, shoveling spoon after spoon down his gullet, but he still continued on. 

"I tried to hurry over to help, but you know the tower elevator. And then I ran out the door and-"

"Got lost again." All three of them finished in perfect sync, sending a small chill down Leon's spine. They sounded too much like those creepy children from the horror movies Allister liked. 

"Look, Leon, honestly, Sonia'll be fine at her presentation. You though? The champions' exhibition match might be something those dastards might actually attack. And the legendary and mythical Pokemon showcase will also be much bigger targets," Victor tried to explain, reading off some of the important, notable events off of his device. 

"Think of it this way. Support her where and when she might actually need it, and you'll be fine. Watch her back, be her friend, that kind of thing! Now com'on, we've got some packing up to finish!" Hop genuinely hoped that his advice would help, at the very least, getting his brother's mind off of trying to be the hero again. 

It had been a pain, but both brothers' suitcases were stuffed and shut. Leon still pouted at not being able to bring his favorite suit ("This thing is an atrocity and not meant for actual formal events"), but was confident he'd still make an impact. His Battle Tower ensemble was absolutely a must (in his head), and the suit Hop picked out for him was quite dashing as well. Oh, he couldn't wait for the big event now. There couldn't be anything more exhilarating than facing down Pokemon champions from around the world after all! 

"Bede wants to know if bringing a date to the opening ceremony is mandatory." Everyone turned to Victor, who turned his Rotomphone over to display the new Fairy-type gym leader's text, snickering. All he got was a shrug from his friends. 

"I REALLY don't think so," Gloria chuckled, trying to imagine Raihan, Piers, or heaven forbid, Bede, with a "date." 

"There's an opening ceremony?" Leon asked, certainly surprised. Hop pulled out the conference schedule on his own phone, enlarging the page at the top. Leon's jaw went slack. "I should ask Sonia!" As he left the room to make his phone call, Hop gave his friends a wink. 

"I'm still in the bet," he whispered. Victor groaned and Gloria just rolled her eyes. 

* * *

Sonia slumped forward onto the table. She didn't expect to be so winded from just filling her suitcase. Ugh, she was so out of shape…

"Sonia dear, your phone is ringing! Please come and answer it! The noise is making my head hurt!" Magnolia called from downstairs. 

"COMING, GRAN!!" She forced herself up from the chair and walked downstairs. Her grandmother was at the bottom, her buzzing Rotomphone in her hand. Sonia gratefully took it, accepting the call and slumped onto the steps. "Hello?" 

"Sonia! Did you know there was an opening ceremony at the conference?" Leon asked from the other line. Sonia chuckled under her breath, ever amused by Leon’s cluelessness and unbridled enthusiasm for almost anything. 

“Yes Leon, there’s also a closing ceremony,” she answered.

"You're not going with anyone else, are you?" 

"Noooo...Why?" 

"'Cuz I want to go with you as your date! Can't think of anyone better than my best friend of all time!" Sonia was blushing, and smiling so much her face was practically feverish and it hurt. Whether he knew what his words were meant to imply to average, normal people in society, she didn't fight the pure joy and bloom of warmth in her chest. 

"Of course Leon. I'll always have your back. Do you want me to bring the child leash?" she teased. 

"SONIA!!!....You can just hold my hand and lead me around. Let me have some dignity…" he moped, reminding her of Yamper whenever he lost a treat. A damn broke in her and she howled with laughter, Leon's childish (and futile) protests simply making her cackle even louder. 

* * *

Leon slumped back into the living room, relieved grin on his face. Hop and the others snuck looks at him, the on-and-off champions pouting just a tad, Hop grinning at them smugly. 

"Is Sonia bringing the child leash or should we get it?" Hop asked. Leon whipped his head toward his brother, looking shocked and betrayed. 

"Not you snots too!!!" 

  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...This is what I imagine Leon's favorite suit looks like....
> 
> https://www.funidelia.com/lumberjack-opposuit-41909.html


	6. All We Care About Is Talking

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just some pre-flight tomfoolery between our supposedly esteemed Galar representatives.

Cameras flashed and reporters raved, paparazzi trying to squeeze behind the crowd of security officers at the airport. Questions were shouted aloud toward the crowd of high-profile Pokemon professionals passing through the doors to their terminal, blocked off by ex-Macro Cosmos employees and Battle Tower workers. Despite the biting morning air, there was a heated rush for news before everyone left for the international league conference. 

Sonia had Leon’s wrist in a death grip as they checked in, grouchy and stifling a yawn. Leon rubbed his eyes with his free hand, trying not to fall back asleep in line. All the luggage they had brought was in the care of the Pokemon League’s staff, only carry-ons haphazardly slung over their backs and shoulders. Despite how tired the two adults in front of them were, Hop was buzzing with energy, trying to stay quiet as he barraged Victor and Gloria with questions. Victor seemed fine, but Gloria’s smile was tired, head swaying as she let out a loud yawn. 

* * *

The entirety of their terminal had been blocked off from the public, to everyone’s relief. As Leon, Sonia, and Gloria slept, pillowed by their carry-ons, Hop and Victor looked around them at their fellow Galarian Pokemon trainers. All of the gym leaders were present and accounted for, of course, but it was surprising to see Klara and Avery with them too, lounging on the benches by the gate window, throwing dirty looks at each other every few minutes like feuding children. Bede grumbled in his sleep a row away from Opal’s wheelchair, where she was laughing with Mustard, Honey, and Kabu, Hyde diligently clacking away on his laptop. Old Professor Magnolia walked up to the boys with cups of hot tea, pointing them toward Sonia shoving a snoring Leon off of her shoulder with furrowed brows. 

“There you guys are!” Raihan whispered, sitting down with Hop and Victor, nodding politely to the professor before pulling out his phone. Again. 

“How long were you with the reporters?” Hop stage whispered back, rolling his eyes. The dragon trainer was the last one of the gym leaders to arrive, face glued to his screen as he leaned back against his travel bag. 

“Not too long, just enough to get some great pre-flight shots,” he replied, shrugging. Victor rolled his eyes and Hop sighed. Another snap. With a cheeky grin, Raihan showed them his shot of Leon and Sonia snoozing together on the waiting chairs. “This is as close Leon’s ever getting to Sonia from here,” he stated, slapping Arceus knows how many hashtags on the picture before letting it loose on Rotomgram and Pokesnap. In seconds, the sound of pinging phones echoed through the entire terminal. 

“Damn, really?” Victor mumbled, posting a comically mean comment in retaliation. 

“Hey, I’ve got a big pool on the line here!” he defended, flashing a number on his phone’s calculator. An impressive “35,670” behind the dollar sign had the boys’ attention. 

“And how’re you dividing that up between the winners?” Hop asked, counting his brother’s supporters on his hand. 

“Would you believe me if I said this is just between us and the other leaders?” Raihan replied, a smug, toothy grin plastered on his face. 

“There’s MORE money!?” Victor squeaked, his attempt to stay quiet sounding more like a Rookiedee shot out of a cannon (don’t ask) than a whisper. A nod was his answer. 

“SHHH!!!!” Bea hushed them sternly, pointing at a sleeping Allister by her lap. The boys fell silent afterwards, waving a sheepish apology back. 

* * *

Sonia’s neck was sore. And heavy. And….Wet? “LEON, GET THE FUCK OFF ME!!” she shrieked, shoving the man’s drooling face away from her, snagging some tissues from her bag and wiping off the residue of her friend’s nap from her collar. Pouring an unholy amount of hand sanitizer on her neck, she turned to glare at Leon, still snoring away. 

“If he’s not working, Lee sleeps like a Stonjourner,” Hop said, shuffling through some of his papers on the floor. Gloria was beside him, making comments with Victor and Marnie. 

“How long has it been?” the young professor asked, trying to relieve the crook in her neck and back. 

“We’ve been waiting for about two and a half hours,” Raihan responded, seated comfortably next to the still snoring Leon, snapping photos of the man’s face. She was sure childishly edited versions would be circled around social media in a few hours with how diligently the dragon trainer was doodling. 

“I hope we’ll be boarding soon. Our departure time’s s’posed ta be in 45 minutes,” a tired Piers added, taking a seat on her other side, handing her a cup of coffee, placing the still full cup holder on the floor for his sister and her friends. 

“Oh man, this is so exciting! I’ve never been on a plane before!” Hop said, packing his notes back into his bag, helping his girlfriend up and helping himself to his iced caramel macchiato. 

“Your brother’s champion and you’ve never taken the chance to travel?” Bede was standing before them, looking down at Hop. 

“Nah, never could. Just because we got some of Lee’s champion money didn’t mean we had time for it. Besides, gran and pa aren’t exactly easy to travel with at their ages, you know?” Hop responded, shrugging off the attitude the fairy gym apprentice was giving him. 

“Are ya gonna just stand there, or do ya want ya strawberry latte?” Marnie cut in, giving Bede a Spikemuth stare. With a pout, the boy in pink snatched his drink from Marnie’s hand and plopped down beside them. 

“Wheelchair rentals aren’t exactly expensive,” he muttered, again facing the young professor in training. 

“Nah, that’s not the problem. It’s getting around once we land,” Hop replied, taking a loud slurp of his macchiato. “They still like to walk around, and with how slow they can be and how lost Lee can get, we’d get nowhere.” Behind them, Leon finally woke up with a snort and a crack in his back. 

“Is...Issa plane here yet?” he grumbled, yawning and rubbing the sleep from his eyes. Sonia planted an iced coffee on his head, giving him a curt “No, you dunce,” as a response. 

“Ey, finally woke up, huh?” Raihan laughed, tapping his empty plastic cup on Leon’s head. The ex-champ shoved him in retaliation, his attention on the cold beverage in his hand. Unfazed, Raihan slid his phone into his rival’s view, with a snarky “So, which picture looks better?” Sonia turned to look, ice almost shooting out of her nose. Piers laughed behind his hand, and Leon’s face glowed red with embarrassment. 

“WHEN DID YOU TAKE THAT!?!? IS THAT GOING UP ONLINE?!??! RAIHAN, YOU TWAT!!!” Raihan snatched his phone back, getting up as Leon childishly chased him around, shouting genuinely unconvincing empty threats in an attempt to save his dignity. Or what was left of it anyway. 

* * *

"Esteemed representatives of the Galar region. Shites, both of'em," Piers muttered, taking a long, loud sip of his beverage, watching the two grown men run around like Yampers. 

"TOO LATE!!" Raihan plopped down onto the ground, flashing his phone at a defeated, and sweaty, Leon.  _ "27 photos successfully uploaded to your feed,"  _ was on his Rotomgram homepage. The ex-champion only groaned, slumping down. Sonia stood up, ready to knock some sense into both of the overgrown toddlers, but was interrupted by the loudspeaker buzzing to life. 

"Attention passengers, flight G47AR1 to Pasio Island is now boarding. Please make your way to terminal F-81. Thank you for your cooperation, and have a nice flight." 

"FINALLY!" Piers was up with his bag and pulling Marnie up as soon as an attendant opened the gate. Everyone else soon followed suit, tossing empty cups and containers into the rubbish bin, strapping their carry-ons to them best they could, and making sure their loved ones also left nothing behind. 

"This is so exciting!!" Hop cheered, unable to contain his enthusiasm. Gloria and Sonia made a quick sweep to check for any stray research notes or documents, while Granny Magnolia kept her sharp eyes on Leon. Just in case. 

"It's a 10 hour flight, I don't think you'll be singing that same tune once we're on board, love," Gloria nudged playfully. 

"Pray to Arceus you don't discover you're prone to airsickness either," Victor grumbled, thoughts going to some strange, discomforting past event. 

"Alright, I believe we have everything! Com'on now, we've got a good hour of waiting on the plane to rush!" Sonia said, tightly wrapping her hand around Leon's wrist again. He just looked at her like an excited Bolthund getting ready for a walk. Behind them, Professor Magnolia let out a long, exhausted sigh. 

"That boy's head is still made of stone, I swear." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy shit, how long has it been? No real excuses, 2020 just sucks, went back to school, working in a pandemic, etc. Not really sure how long until the next chapter, but I know it's going to be a LONG one.


	7. I Could Hear The Chit-Chat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They FINALLY land in Pasio, see some new and old faces, and maybe catch some ZZZ's?

The airport pick-up was packed. The flights for Pasio arrived within mere hours of each other, Pokemon professionals and experts flooding in from all corners of the world. As expected, the Pokemon League had taken all their luggage already, those who just arrived lugging only their carry-ons with them. 

"Whoah…" Hop and Bede's jaws had dropped. Gloria and Victor took in the port in awe. The walls were pristine white, the floors of shining white and grey marble, colorful murals of Pokemon and regional maps decorating the spaces between white walls and windows. 

"Swanky for an airport," Piers mumbled, shoving away a selfie-happy Raihan from his left side. Marnie dumbly nodded in agreement.

The level of noise got increasingly louder as they approached the shuttle stop. Many faces, new and old, turned to greet them with excitement in their eyes, as conversation echoed through almost the whole terminal. 

"LEEEEEEOOOOOOOONNNNN!!!!!" 

All heads turned to the scream in front of them, parting from the still-groggy Galar ex-champion (who was still clinging to Sonia lest he walk himself into the sea...Again). A blur of pastel pink and dark purple barreled straight into Leon, sending him and poor Sonia to the cold, marble floor with a  _ thud.  _ (Raihan made a low whistle as commentary, but was elbowed roughly in the gut by Nessa and Marnie beside him.). 

"Hi Iris," Leon huffed out, voice tired from the flight and lungs being crushed by his attacker. His mischievous "baby" cousin laughed at him, turned to Sonia on the floor, and grinned like a Purrloin. 

"Hey, what about Raihan?" the fellow dragon trainer teased, faking a pout as he helped his friends up. Iris just looked at him with a blank expression. 

"Nope," she responded, popping the "p" and turning to tackle Hop. 

"Ow! OW! IRIS!!! I'm not a kid anymore!!" Hop whined, struggling out of a noogie from his Unovan cousin. Victor, Gloria, Marnie, and even Bede watched on in bewilderment. After a brief tussle, she released him, waving excitedly at his friend group. 

"Oh, uh, so, this is me and Lee's cousin, Champion of the Unova region, Iris, the Dragon Princess-" Iris smacked him in retaliation for the comment. 

"QUEEN." 

"ANYWAY, so these're my best mates, Victor and Gloria-" 

"Your girlfriend, right? It's so nice to finally meet you! Hop brings you up at every family reunion!" Hop flushed a violent red, tugging at Iris' sleeve to maybe shut her up. She instead gave the two a tight, happy welcome hug. 

"That's Marnie, and her brother Piers. He used to be a gym leader, but passed it on to Marnie after Lee's defeat. And the grumpy one in pink is Bede. He's a might bit rude, but he's also a gym leader. Specifically, of fairy types," Hop continued. 

"I love your outfit! And Roxie's gonna faint when she meets your brother! She has ALL of his albums," Iris said, beaming a smile at the Spikemuth siblings. Marnie's cheeks turned pink, mumbling a shy thanks in return. Iris then turned to Bede, gave him a look, and simply said, "I don't like you." 

Behind them, Raihan, Leon, and Sonia watched on fondly. 

"How do you know Iris?" Leon asked. Raihan looked at the man like he just insulted his mother.

"We're cousins too! I told you!! I've been with you to family gatherings!!" Raihan sputtered out. Leon looked like he was in thought, flipping through memories. 

"Nothing's coming up," he responded. Sonia smacked her face in disbelief as Raihan gave a frustrated groan. 

"Okay, you and Hop's old man is Iris' mum's big brother. MY mum is Iris' dad's big sister. She used to follow us around at gatherings before we began our gym challenges, remember?" Raihan tried again, speaking to Leon as if he was a toddler. Leon shook his head.

Before the dragon trainer threw an annoyed punch, Sonia nudged them apart. "Let's not do that. You KNOW Leon can't remember anything before his gym challenge, battling's all he's got in his brain.He hasn't been to a family gathering in more than a decade," she reasoned. 

"Of course you'd remember for him, he dragged you to each and every single one  with us," Raihan teased with a sly grin on his face. 

"Please, I was there to babysit. If it wasn't this lug, it was to watch over Hop," Sonia snapped back. 

"No, I wanted you to meet my family! You're my best mate, of course I'd want you to get to know them!" Raihan burst into laughter at Leon's rebuttal. The bloke had no idea what his words could've possibly implied, to Sonia's great embarrassment. 

"Wait, so you're STILL not dating!?" 

"SHHH!! IRIS!!!" The stage whisper came too late. All three adults looked up at the voice to see most, if not all, of their peers watching them with intense interest. 

"Oh, don't mind us, the shuttles won't be here for another 45 minutes," Melony said, as if watching one of her beloved TV dramas unfold. 

* * *

Luckily, the awkward silence(and Sonia's very threatening glare) kept their very...Delicate...Conversation from being brought up again. Iris introduced her cousins to her own group, shocking them that she too was dating a champion. 

"This is Hilbert, ex-Unovan champion, and his big sis Hilda, the champion before him!" They awkwardly shook hands, nervous energy around them. 

"You never told me your cousin was champion LEON," Hilbert hissed, trying to appear calm and collected before one of his idols. 

"I did, you just fell asleep and forgot it the next day," she replied with a hand-wave. Hilda, clearly the more outgoing sibling, took to light conversations with everyone else. Unfortunately, her strange, green-haired companion stared blankly at each person she conversed with, as if purposefully discomforting them. 

"Uhhh...Any reason this guy's giving me....Looks?" Raihan asked, actually shying away from 

attention for once. Hilda placed a hand on said man’s shoulder, nudging him away.

“Sorry, N’s a bit awkward around new people,” she said, turning to speak to her strange friend. Everyone fell into a hush suddenly, drawing everyone’s attention to the other side of the shuttle stop. The kids pushed their way through to see what the sudden silence was all about. Their starstruck gasps said everything.

“Well well well, looks like we’ve got a full house, eh, Red?” Red, Green, and Blue had just walked in. The first, the youngest, and the still reigning legendary Pokemon Master trio made their way toward everyone else. Red gave a nod and grunt in greeting, his sister Blue smiling and nodding as well. 

“Don’t you have anything to say to our adoring crowd?” Green sighed, leaning onto his best friend’s shoulder and wrapping an arm around his beloved wife’s waist. Both siblings gave their cocky companion a disapproving look in response. 

Behind them came the champions, elites, and leaders of the Kanto and Johto regions (Raihan almost squealed with excitement as he watched Lance and Claire stride in), followed in. Leon and his fellow regional champions made way to the front, exchanging pleasantries and handshakes with their colleagues. Raihan elbowed his way through to give Lance a hug and pull him in for a picture before Claire violently kicked him away. 

"Ah, I see her opinion of you hasn't changed," Leon remarked, watching nervously as Raihan ran away in retreat, cussing and cursing Claire to hell and back. 

"I'm so sorry. I honestly don't know why she's still hung up on that accident," Lance sighed. Sonia, Gloria, and Victor turned to Raihan. 

"The fuck did you do to her?" Piers asked, genuinely curious. None of them had seen Raihan run away from someone before. The dragon trainer seemed to freeze up at the question, his dark skin visibly paling in some kind of horror. Nessa even smacked him to get a reaction, and that didn't work. As if to save them all from further distress, a series of very loud honks sounded, signaling the arrival of their transport. They lined up as neatly as they could, Milo picking the still petrified Raihan up over his shoulder, and filled out the shuttle buses. 

* * *

The hotel in Centra City was...Flashy. Having been completed a mere three and a half years prior, it shined and sparkled, but lacked the grandeur of Alola's resorts, and had none of the class of Galar's league-sponsored hotels. On the outside, the hotel was mirror-coated in silver, the sliding automatic doors and signs spit-shined gold. Its lobby, with elegant white granite floors, almost burned eyes under the harsh, LED lighting. 

"I hope Lear wasn't in charge of this project," Green muttered, slipping his sunglasses back on. Leon almost walked straight into his back, Sonia tugging his arm roughly back toward herself. Poor Raihan, now just mentally coming to, smacked head first into a hanging light fixture, his tall form taking a few people, including Leon and Sonia, down with him. 

"Are you alright?!" The crash, thud, and following commotion caught the attention of the hotel staff. A flustered bellhop and blushing concierge hastened to help them up. 

"Ow," Hop mumbled, rubbing his sore elbow. Victor patted the seat of his pants, hiding how sore his backside was. Raihan rubbed his forehead, reaching up to retrieve his snapback from the fixture. Leon helped Sonia up, both of their knees against the floor, wincing a bit at the pain. 

"Oh, I hope this doesn't bruise," she said, leaning onto her friend as she straightened herself up. 

"I hope we'll be near an ice machine," Leon said back, delicately shifting his weight on his heels to get the stinging out of his kneecaps. 

"Welcome to Maison Paison, Pasio Island's premier five star hotel and resort. Our staff and the Pokemon League have arranged for all of your luggage to be placed in your assigned rooms. The front desk will be more than happy to get you all situated," the concierge said, bowing politely and pointing toward the unmissable gold-accented check-in and check-out. Once again, everyone filed back into a line, eager to be in a bed soon. 

As expected, Leon and his fellow champions had been assigned the master suites at the top floor, sharing his room with Hop. Gloria and Victor were roomed to their left, and the Professors Magnolia were to their right. 

"Wow Lee, this place is amazing! There's an entire floor dedicated to training, with six practice stadiums and a practice stage!" Hop gushed, looking through the hotel brochure booklet. 

"Huh, didn't know Pokemon could battle on stage," Leon responded, picking the Porygon device resting on his suitcase up and throwing his bag open. 

"Oh, they're for Pokemon Contests and Musicals," Hop said, sitting down on the plush red carpet to do the same. Leon looked at his brother in bewilderment. "Contests are a thing in Hoenn and Sinnoh. They're like....Battles of style! Pokemon and their trainers, uh, coordinators, get prettied up and show off moves in aesthetically pleasing formations!" 

"Huh. You've picked up a lot of interesting things in your research. What other kinds of competitions are there?" 

"Well, there's the Pokeathlon in Johto, where Pokeathletes compete in physical challenges like running and high jumping. Unova has Pokemon Musicals, which is all about making the best stage performance, and Alola has this thing called a Battle Royal, where four trainers face off at the same time!" Hop excitedly explained, digging out his Rotomphone. 

"Well, I hope we have time to try all of those! I'll have to ask Iris and Sonia about the musicals though," Leon responded, smiling fondly at his brother. "Oh, how do we connect this thing to our Rotomphone? We need it connected to get into the conference, right?" 

"Yeah, Pasio runs on the Porygon tech Lear designed. Lemme see your phone settings," Hop said, reaching over to help his brother out. 

In the room next door, Sonia was also having connection problems. 

* * *

"Stupid PoryPass," she hissed, restarting the device for the third time. 

"You have too many unnecessary things on your phone, love," Magnolia said, comfortably seated in the armchair by their beds. 

"No Gran, I've got it!" Sonia stubbornly rebuked, reviewing her phone settings and clearing all catches AGAIN. 

"They've plenty of practice fields on the gym floor dear. Perhaps you'll take some time to try something new while we're here?" Magnolia continued, watching with amusement as her granddaughter fumbled over the devices in her hands. 

"I'll consider it, but only if I have actual time...AH-HAH!" In victory, Sonia raised the now successfully connected PoryPass up. In relief, she pushed herself up off of the carpeted floor and leapt into the soft, clean hotel bed. "I'mma nap before the ceremony," she mumbled into her pillow. She swore she could hear Leon's snoring as sleep overtook her. 

**Author's Note:**

> Short, I know, but hopefully this set up will get the ball rolling!


End file.
